Search

Monospecific plantations with non-native trees increased in recent decades in different regions around the world. In particular, in Argentina, this type of production is being encouraged, causing a replacement of the native landscape and potentially affecting different groups of animals. For this reason, we conducted a literature review of what is known, and the gaps in information, on the effects of non-native pine and eucalyptus plantations on terrestrial vertebrates in different ecoregions of Argentina. We found a total of 34 published articles, 48% of which focused specifically on the role of pine and eucalyptus plantations on vertebrates. Birds and medium and large terrestrial mammals were the most studied taxonomic groups, mainly in the Atlantic and Patagonian forests. Regarding the effects, the most reported were a decrease in richness, changes in species composition and reduced use of non-native plantations by different vertebrate groups. The type of plantation management, especially with regard to the conservation and connectivity with the native forest, would be key to reducing the negative impact on vertebrate species. Additionally, we found that there are still information gaps in certain ecoregions and vertebrate groups (e.g., herpetofauna, small mammals). Therefore, we suggest that this type of studies should be encouraged in different regions of the country, in order to make known the effects of this type of anthropic activity, as well as to guarantee the good management and conservation of the surrounding native environments, and the genetic flow of the associated biodiversity populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]